Stone lifting

[KBE6EKCTAH_CCP]

Anybody here fucked around with that? I saw on that dude Martins‘ channel that it‘s a thing in Scotland, Basque country, Japan, etc.
It‘s also a Strongman’s discipline.

Seems to me like an incredibly difficult and technical exercise especially the round stones, but I wonder if the difficulty is not enhanced by the awkward alignment and positions you need to perform.

So is it a completely antiquated training method that people are reviving for craig and gimmick or does it have a place in modern training in your opinion?

 

[Van Daz]

Arnie liked stoned lifting....

 

[usernamee]

I did it for a while but I just can't fucking manage to do it without lower back aches the days after. But my lower back is trash and the slightest thing will set it off.

It did feel fucking fantastic doing it tho, especially shouldering a stone. Even more so in bare feet. (watch the drop) Feels very caveman and primal. Definitely recommend it.

Also if you get good at picking up heavy weirdly shaped objects that you can barely hang on to with your hands a barbell feels like the easiest thing in the world.

 

[Kowboy On Sherdog]

Magnus Ver Magnusson did ok...

 

[Fahcough]

anyone try to make their own atlas stones? Tutorials are plentiful but it looks more work than they lead on. Be fun to have a few to lift

 

[DEVILsSON]

It feels unnecessary unless it's part of the competition/skill set test.

It is no different than sandbag training or something similar. If you have access to it at a gym then you can certainly do it as something new but I wouldn't say it's absolutely crucial like maybe barbell lifts for maximum strength gains.

 

[humperdoo]

probably helps in a strongman competition. i saw they lift round big stones there to be lifted and put on top of a stand.

maybe it helps in wrestling. anything that makes you mightier helps.

 

[rikwebb]

anyone try to make their own atlas stones? Tutorials are plentiful but it looks more work than they lead on. Be fun to have a few to lift

On the Starting Strongman group on FB quite a few of the members have made their own, by the looks of it the worst part is either the waiting for them to set or waiting for certain moulds to come into stock

 

[Fahcough]

On the Starting Strongman group on FB quite a few of the members have made their own, by the looks of it the worst part is either the waiting for them to set or waiting for certain moulds to come into stock

Watched a handful of them and it's the same basic idea but so much tiny details to make it smooth , no bubble pits. The Slater guy and Untaimed Strength probably had the best ones. It would be a great lift to throw in a couple days. Curious on how different it would be than a bag.

 

[KnightTemplar]

They have a set of Stones and the platforms at my gym. Once, when I was waiting for a Bench to become available, I decided to try them out. I've no idea what they weighed, but I got the smallest Stone a few inches off the ground. At which point my lower back sent an urgent message to my brain,

"Bitch, don't even fucking THINK about it!"

I lowered the Stone carefully to the ground and backed away...

 

[Fahcough]

They have a set of Stones and the platforms at my gym. Once, when I was waiting for a Bench to become available, I decided to try them out. I've no idea what they weighed, but I got the smallest Stone a few inches off the ground. At which point my lower back sent an urgent message to my brain,

"Bitch, don't even fucking THINK about it!"

I lowered the Stone carefully to the ground and backed away...

The weight feels abnormal if you haven't practiced. I'm sure with a couple days flowing through the movements with a small bag you could hoist that stone on your shoulder and pack it.
Thats why I like the bags, even heavy weight and completely losing form just trying to muscle it up and failing, the body is fine. Doesn't hurt like a botched bar lift.
I know a stone isn't a bag and probably less forgiving

 

[KBE6EKCTAH_CCP]

They have a set of Stones and the platforms at my gym. Once, when I was waiting for a Bench to become available, I decided to try them out. I've no idea what they weighed, but I got the smallest Stone a few inches off the ground. At which point my lower back sent an urgent message to my brain,

"Bitch, don't even fucking THINK about it!"

I lowered the Stone carefully to the ground and backed away...

Ha ha ha!!!! Never tried them but can totally relate.

 

[Baby Hanma]

So is it a completely antiquated training method that people are reviving for craig and gimmick or does it have a place in modern training in your opinion?

The former. It’s worthless. If perhaps there are adjustable stones with an ergonomic design that doesn’t put your back in terrible positions, then sure. Go for it. Otherwise, it’s only for show.

Let’s all be real. The invention of barbells, dumbbells, and kettlebells has completely made any other mode of (strength) training worthless. At least if your goal is general strength with an emphasis on safety.

Training with stones is worthless unless you are actually a strongman competitor.

 

[Fahcough]

Outside of college, anyone lift kegs?

One of the Christmas presents under tree means we have an alcoholic in family or this is a new journey.

 

[Smato_rules]

I think sandbags do essentially the same thing but better. I’m a stone mason and there’s a lot of guys who I have worked with that aren’t particularly strong honestly. I’m almost always the strongest guy on site and that’s from lifting heavy weights, but it could be a fun assistance type exercise maybe

 

[maximus__]

I think sandbags do essentially the same thing but better. I’m a stone mason and there’s a lot of guys who I have worked with that aren’t particularly strong honestly. I’m almost always the strongest guy on site and that’s from lifting heavy weights, but it could be a fun assistance type exercise maybe

I have a 90lb,150lb and 200lb sandbag that I use.

When I first bought the 150lb and 200lb bag, I could barely lift the 200lb to move it to my shed.

It didn't take long and I was able to lift it pretty comfortably to the bear hug squat position and rep out squats.
Lifting it to shoulder height is still a challenge, but that's the case for most people with a barbell anyway.

It seems to do the job well enough and I can drop it without going through the floor.

 

[Fahcough]

I have a 90lb,150lb and 200lb sandbag that I use.

When I first bought the 150lb and 200lb bag, I could barely lift the 200lb to move it to my shed.

It didn't take long and I was able to lift it pretty comfortably to the bear hug squat position and rep out squats.
Lifting it to shoulder height is still a challenge, but that's the case for most people with a barbell anyway.

It seems to do the job well enough and I can drop it without going through the floor.

Nothing like filling one of those big boys outside and then going to pick it up to bring in, and you can't .

Takes bit of hip attitude to get them to cooperate.

 

[maximus__]

Nothing like filling one of those big boys outside and then going to pick it up to bring in, and you can't .

Takes bit of hip attitude to get them to cooperate.

I had been using the 90lb one for ages and it's a bigger bag with some movement so I could get a grip and shft it pretty easily.

The 150lb and 200lb ones are smaller and similar in shape to an atlas stone. I didn't have the lap technique down yet, but I learned it pretty quick haha. I did an awkward shuffle that was half lapped, half bear hug squat.

I think they are better than doing deadlifts for grappling/functional strength. It's basically the deepest deficit Zercher you can do paired with a pause squat just to get it to the bare hug position.

I couldn't imagine ripping my hands up with stones unless I was doing strongman. It definitely would be a bit of fun though.

 

[Fahcough]

I had been using the 90lb one for ages and it's a bigger bag with some movement so I could get a grip and shft it pretty easily.

The 150lb and 200lb ones are smaller and similar in shape to an atlas stone. I didn't have the lap technique down yet, but I learned it pretty quick haha. I did an awkward shuffle that was half lapped, half bear hug squat.

I think they are better than doing deadlifts for grappling/functional strength. It's basically the deepest deficit Zercher you can do paired with a pause squat just to get it to the bare hug position.

I couldn't imagine ripping my hands up with stones unless I was doing strongman. It definitely would be a bit of fun though.

There's a few different style of bags and they all lift better in different ways. The oval ones, half full loose ones, overfilled ticks. Some people like to pick them vertical with a quick pull explosion, some like the horizontal roll up the shins, then up the chest. Feels accomplished when you start moving over bodyweight for reps

 

[Smato_rules]

I have a 90lb,150lb and 200lb sandbag that I use.

When I first bought the 150lb and 200lb bag, I could barely lift the 200lb to move it to my shed.

It didn't take long and I was able to lift it pretty comfortably to the bear hug squat position and rep out squats.
Lifting it to shoulder height is still a challenge, but that's the case for most people with a barbell anyway.

It seems to do the job well enough and I can drop it without going through the floor.

Yeah I really liked my sandbag too. During Covid I filled one up with 215lbs of sand since that’s what I usually grapple at and my progression was pretty similar to you, which felt good. Honestly nothing has made me feel stronger or more athletic in grappling than double kettlebell work though.

One short story about sandbags and lifting stones: my father was a mason for fifty years, so he did a ton of lifting heavy stones and block. He was giving me a hand when I was moving a couple years ago and I had my 215lb sandbag on the upper floor of my raised ranch. During the day I left to make a dump run and come back to see my fully filled sandbag sitting in my driveway, so I ask him how he got it down there. He just casually told me he just lifted it on his shoulder and walked it outside, like it was no big deal. He was 65 at the time and was retired for a few years at that point. It’s sad to say but there was no way I could have done that at the time, despite having a mid 400s deadlift and training with the sandbag for a few months. Old men are strong motherfuckers.